Crazy Town
by MysteryGirrl
Summary: "I don't know what's crazier; this town or us?" -Alina... Starts off before movie. Nick x OC *Another House Of Wax fan fic for you all*
1. Meeting New People

**Author's Note:**

 _Hello! This is just a real quick author's note in where I'm just going to give quick brief on what to expect for this House Of Wax fan fic. First, this will be a Nick Jones & OC like my last one. What can I say; I like him. Second, I will have extra chapters that do not go with the movie. Third, it will be written in third person point of view. If you do not like those kinds of stories... I'm sorry, I wanted to try something different. Last, but not least, I will be updating every Friday._  
 _P.S. Disclaimer is at the bottom (footer)._

 _Thank you and you may begin!_

 _Published: 8-20-205_

 _Unedited_

* * *

○◦○ **Meeting New People** ○◦○

(ah-LEE-nah)

The hot steam spread throughout the small simple bathroom, creating a cloud-like fog. The sound of cascading water and a soft humming echoed in the steamed bathroom. The figure of a young woman could be seen through a glass door, blurred by the steam. The young women continued to hum the melody of a song as she washed the remaining shampoo, and hair dye, out of her waist length hair. Once finished with the task, she turned the water off, proceeding to step out of the shower cubicle.

Reaching for a towel, the young women wrapped it around herself as she made her way towards the mirror situated above the counter. Pressing her manicured hand against the cool surface of the mirror - even with the humidness in the restroom - she wiped away the condensation. Smiling at her reflection, the young women reached for her hair admiring the burgundy color it now had. No longer was her a light brown color, but more on the red-burgundy side. It was a nice change and she was sure that once her hair was dried, the color would look great on her. It was a nice combination to her nice olive skin and it made her light blue eyes - almost grey - really stand out.

With her smile growing some more, she turned away from her reflection and walked towards the only door in the bathroom that lead to her room. She shivered as the cool air touched her bare skin but didn't pay much attention to it as she quickly began to get dressed. She wore a pair of nice shorts that made her toned legs look much longer. Pairing the shorts with a blue thin-strapped cami and a simple black leather jacket. She decided to finish it off with her mid-calf combat boots.

Taking a quick glance at the time on her phone, she noticed it was 1:40 in the afternoon. Deciding she still had some time she began to do her make up and hair. Thirty minutes later, she had done her make up and was halfway done with her hair when her phone rang. Grabbing her cell phone she answered, "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me," came a female's voice from the phone.

The young girl smiled knowing exactly who it was. "Hey, Carly. You almost here?"

"Yeah, that's why I called. I'm about five minutes away from your place," Carly replied.

"Perfect! I'll be waiting. Remember it's apartment '2A'," the young women said. After Carly's confirmation, they both hung up and the young woman continued on her hair.

She had a mixture of feelings going through her at the moment. She was excited and nervous all at once. Her friend from college and classmate, Carly, was going to introduce her to her friends. The young woman was excited to meet new people since she was new in town and didn't know anybody beside Carly. She had met Carly in one of the classes they shared together and instantly became friends with her. That was about three months ago and throughout those months, Carly kept trying to convince her to meet her friends, but the young girl never had the time. She was either too busy studying or working. Though she had met Carly's boyfriend, Wade, once or twice, but that was about it.

Now she had finally found the time to meet them and hopefully make some new friends out of them, too. But that's what also made her nervous. She didn't know if they were going to like and accept her as their friend. Carly insisted that she would get along just fine with them, but it didn't stop her nervousness.

❉❉❉ **-*H*O*W*-** ❉❉❉

True to her word, Carly was at the young girls apartment door knocking, in five minutes. Upon hearing the knocking, the young girl gave herself a once over just to make sure she looked alright before making her way towards the front door. The young girl finally opened the door to reveal Carly - who had a huge smile on her face.

Spreading out her arms, Carly pulled the young girl into a friendly hug. "Ready to go?" Carly asks, pulling away from the hug.

"Yeah, let me just get my keys and phone," replied the young girl. She walked over to a small table a few feet away and retrieved said items. Quickly following Carly out the door and locking it on the process.

"You look great, Alina. Plus, I'm loving the new hair!" Carly reached out a hand to touch her friends her. The young girl, Alina, just gave a small laugh at her friends compliment.

"Thanks, I thought it was time for a new change. I was getting tired of my natural hair color." The girls continued to talk as they walked towards Carly's car. They both got in and soon were off to meet up with the rest of Carly's friends.

They arrived at a decent sized house that had a nice blue 2003 Mustang Cobra parked in the driveway. Carly parked the small car she drove -which Alina found out belonged to Wade- behind the truck in the driveway. The car was a red 1968 Dodge Charger. It was a nice car, there was no denying that, but it was pretty small. Though, it was most likely just used for two (Wade and Carly).

Alina and Carly both stepped out of the car; Alina following behind Carly as she walked towards the back area of the house. Assuming that the little gathering was being held in the backyard, Alina did not question Carly. She, however, was proven correct when they rounded a corner and were met by a group of three people chatting and laughing. Standing by a grill was a young dark skinned man, who had his arm wrapped around a thin-pretty blonde haired girl. Across from them was another young man she had met before; Wade.

"Hey, guys!" Carly called out, grabbing the attention of the small group. They all greeted back with a 'hey' of their own. Alina continued to follow behind Carly as she greeted her friends with a hug and Wade with a small kiss. Saying her last 'hello's', Carly wrapped an arm around Wade's waist and turned to Alina. "Guys, I want you to meet my friend Alina. She's the one I've been telling you about."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Blake," Said the dark skinned man, outstretching his arm for a shake. Take his hand in hers, Alina replied, "Nice to meet you too, Blake."

"Hi, I'm Paige." The young blonde women replied shaking Alina's hand as well.

"And you already know, Wade" Carly said, as she looked up at Wade. Alina nodded and greeted Wade. "Now that you've all said your hellos, can someone tell me where my brother and Dalton are?"

"They're on their way. Dalton is borrowing his dad's car and Nick is coming with him," Blake answered. He reached over for his beer bottle and taking a drink, then went to flip the patty on the grill. "Would you like anything to drink, Alina? We've got beer." He said over his shoulder at her.

"A beer is fine, thank you," Alina replied.

"How old are you, by the way?" Blake asked handing her a beer he grabbed from the cooler.

"Thank you, and I'm twenty one." Blake nodded and returned to flipping the patties on the grill. Alina took a small drink from the beer and cringed a little from the taste. She wasn't a big drinker, but did have one once in a while.

"So? Where are you from?" Paige asked as she sat on a chair. Alina followed her actions and sat on one herself. Wade did the same and sat on one across from the two girls. Carly found her way into Wade's lap and began to talk to him quietly.

"I'm from Seattle."

Both girls continued to talk some more about Alina's life back in Seattle and about how she liked Florida. Blake, Wade and Carly joined in on the conversation. Mention things they knew from both experience or of what they've heard about Seattle or Washington itself. Alina was really starting to get along with them so far. They seemed to have accepted her, but then again, it was only three of them out of the five Carly had mentioned. Nevertheless, Alina was happy that she knew more people.

Fifteen minutes later, Alina stood up, "Sorry, but I was wondering if I may use your bathroom?" Blake nodded and gave her directions to where it was located. Excusing herself, she made her way into the house and towards the bathroom.

As Alina walked away from the group, Paige turned to Carly with a smile on her face. "I like her. She seems very nice."

"Yeah, I have to agree with that," Blake quickly added in, with a nod.

"I'm glad you guys think that. She really needed some people to hang out with." Carly replied, as the rest nodded their heads in understanding. Just then, all three of them hear a car pull up and doors opening and slamming. Nick and Dalton appear around the corner and make their way towards the small group.

"It's about time," Carly said with a hint of annoyance.

"Sorry, had to get my hair done," Nick replied sarcastically, to which Carly rolled her eyes. Nick just shrugged it off and greeted Paige and Blake, giving Wade a small nod. Carly just let out a defeated breath knowing how Nick was lately. They had both been very close before, but as time passed by and they grew up, they easily became annoyed by the other. Nick was mostly annoyed about how everyone would find someway to compare him to Carly and say how good she was. As for Carly, she became annoyed at how Nick let it get to his head and began to act like he just didn't care about anything.

Like Nick would always say; _she's the good twin, and he's the evil twin…_

Nick walked over to where Dalton stood next to the cooler. Just as Nick was about to bend down and grab a beer for himself, Dalton stopped him. "There's no more, man. 'Got the last one. Sorry." Looking up, Nick saw Dalton lift up his beer bottle at him. "You suck, man!" Nick said to Dalton before turning to Blake, "Ay, man! We're out!"

"There's some more in the house," Blake replied returning to the conversation he was having with Wade.

Nick gave a huff of annoyance in having to go get the beer from the house. He made his way inside the house and into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator's door, he bend down a bit to grab a couple of the beer bottle that were in the. With his hands full, he kicked the door close- turning around to head back outside.

Alina was making her way back out towards the backyard-after doing her business- but was stopped, when she gave a small scream. Not seeing Nick as she turned the corner, she accidentally bumped into him. Luckily, for Nick, he had a tight hold on the drinks in his arms and managed to avoid dropping them when Alina bumped into him. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there." Alina tried to apologize, feeling like a fool for not paying attention to where she walked.

Nick looked at her and smirked; finding her semi-frantic state a bit amusing. "It's all cool. No harm no, no foul." Alina let out a small breath of relief, knowing that he wasn't upset with her. "You must be Carl's friend, huh?" Nick asked, though, it was more of a statement since he knew it was her. Mainly since she was the only new face there.

"Oh! Uh,yeah! I'm Alina." Alina replied. "Do you need some help with that?"

"Yeah, thanks. I'm Nick, by the way; Carly's brother." Nick handed Alina a couple of beers over to Alina as they began to make their way back out to join the others.

As soon as they walked back out, Carly spotted them and made her way up to them. As she reached them, she gave her twin brother a look to which he only rolled his eyes at. When her attention was on Alina, she smiled and told her there was one more person she had yet to meet; Dalton. Once Alina had officially met everyone, Carly turned to her, "Great! Now that you've met the gang, it's time to have some fun!"

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER:**

 _I do not own the movie House Of Wax (2005). All credit goes to the rightful owners. The plot is only used for entertainment and fictional purpose. I only own any characters or sub-plots I may add. This (disclaimer) applies throughout the story. Please enjoy and thank you!_


	2. Flashbacks & Tattoos

**A/N:**

 _Thank you for the reads/ follows/ favorites this story has gotten so far!_

 _There is only one more chapter before we get into the movie plot._

* * *

•• **Flashbacks & Tattoos••**

The bell of a tattoo shop 'dinged' as Alina walked in, closely followed by a young man. Her laughter rang throughout the shop, grabbing the attention of both the tattoo artist and the client he was currently working on. "Nick! Stop, that is not how I remember it happening," Alina laughed. Nick let out a chuckle and pulled her against his side, "I'm pretty sure it _was_ like that, babe." He kissed the side of her head as she rolled her eyes, giving up on wanting to show him he was wrong.

It had been exactly a year and a half since Carly introduced Alina to her friends. They all accepted her with open arms into their small little group. Alina could say that they were all (in some way) her best friends. The ones she knew she could trust, no matter what. Within, that year and a half, Nick and Alina began to get closer. Within the two months of meeting eachother, they began to go out and then proceeded to making it official. Carly wasn't completely fond of the idea at first, but after witnessing how the two were with each other- she came to accept it.

The couple walked up to the counter, to were a woman around her early thirties stood. She looked up and smiled, "Hello, how can I help you?" She was a pretty. With bright red hair and many tattoos and piercing covering her body, that complimented her just right. "Hi, I'm here for my seven o'clock appointment," Alina replied.

Alina had been waiting for this for the past week. After a long time of thinking, she had come to the conclusion that she wanted to get a tattoo. Though, she would always procrastinate in getting it done, for the sole fact that she didn't know WHAT to get. She knew she wanted something that held meaning to it and wasn't just one of those things she would end up regretting in the future. So with the help of Nick, she finally found something she wanted and was ready to get it tattooed. "Okay, I have you here. Scott, over there, is just about done with his client " the girl behind the counter pointed at the tattoo artist, who was in fact finished with his client and was wiping down his station. "Just give him a couple of minutes to clean up and he'll be right right with you."

True to her word, a couple of minutes (after Nick and Alina took a seat to wait) Scott walked over and told them he was Alina and Nick stood and walked over to Scott's station, hand in hand. After sitting on the chair, Alina let Scott know what she wanted done. " I want the phrase ' _with pain, comes strength'_ going across my rib." Alina said, while at the same time lifting up her shirt to show the tattoo artist where. "Are you sure? Getting tattooed on the ribs is pretty painful..."

"Yeah, I'm sure."

 **•~•~•~•~•**

"So? How was it?" Nick asked as they drove through town, looking for a place to have dinner.

"Painful" Alina winced.

Nick let out a small laugh at his girlfriend. Truth is, Nick knew how having a needle puncture through your skin a thousand times felt. He, himself, had a tattoo on his upper arm. Though from the looks of it, and how hard Alina held on to his hand, he could assume hers was a little more painful. Looking over at his girlfriend, he could not help but to think back to when she had finally agreed to go on a date with him...

•Flash Back•

 _Alina groaned for what seemed like the hundredth time in the last hour. Nick kept insisting she go on a date with him that weekend. Though, if she were being honest, the truth was that she secretly liked how persistent he was. After the two months of knowing him, she began to crush on him._

 _She was just playing hard to get._

 _Nick knew she liked him. It was pretty obvious. He didn't mind one bit, due to the fact that he like her too. He liked her personality and she definitely was nothing like the other girls he had dated in the past. They were either clingy or just annoying. The only reason he stayed was for the sex. He wasn't one to sleep with different girls (thought it might seem like it). He like having a relationship and being in one for that. He never had a relationship that lasted more than a month or two._

 _However, with Alina, it was different. He truly liked her to the point where he saw that relationship lasting. Therefore, he vowed that he will not stop until she agreed to go on a date with him. "Come on, Lina. We both know you want to say yes."_

 _"No." Alina replied, while her heart fluttered at the nickname he had for her. He was the only one to call her like that._

 _"I'm not gonna stop until you say yes. I have all day."_

 _Groaning, once more, she finally gave in "Fine! I'll go on a date with you, just stop asking."_

 _"It's a date then. I'll pick you up on Saturday at 7," Nick grinned._

•FB End•

Alina looked over at Nick and saw a distant look on his face. She would have been worried that something might have been wrong with him, if the small smile he had wasn't there. Ignoring the slight burning pain on her right side of her ribs, she asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Nick snapped out of his trance and gave a quick look over at her. "Oh..nothing just thinking."

"Just thinking?"

"Yeah. Just thinking...Watch it, asshole!" Alina couldn't hold the small laugh that escaped her as Nick yelled at a driver who almost bumped into their car. If she were someone else then she might have been scared of the situation, but this was Nick. He has the tendency of getting upset quickly. Though, that situation did justify his actions at the moment. She stared at him and just took him all in. She did really love him. When she first met him, after accidentally bumping into him, she thought he was very attractive. She never thought that she would end up falling in love with him, but after the time they spent hanging out that all changed.

She never regrets falling for him. Not even during their hard times, and they've had a few of those. Though, at the end, they always managed to overcome them. The most reason hardship was when Nick got kicked out of the football team and lost his scholarship. He played it off as if he didn't care, but she knew football was something he took seriously. It was sort of something he had after his parents kicked him out.

Nick has always been that trouble maker. The one who does; before he thinks. That ' _I don't care'_ attitude. Now that she thought about it, Nick and herself had never had a bad argument like that time he went over to their shared apartment after getting kicked off the football team. Thinking back at it, she let out a small wince, but not from the pain on her side, but at the memory…

•Flash Back•

 _Alina was in the bedroom she shared with Nick fixing some clothes, when she heard the front door slam shut. Quickly putting down the shirt she had, she walked out of the room calling out, "Nick? Is that you?" Alina never got a response as she made her way in to the living room. There Nick stood pacing angrily, with an aggravated look. Taking a quick look at the clock on the wall, Alina noticed it was 4:30 in the afternoon. Nick was not suppose to be home until around 8 that evening._

" _Hey, are you okay? What are you doing back so early? I thought you had practice today?" Alina asked, wanting to know what was wrong with him._

" _Yeah, well I don't!" Nick snapped at her._

 _Alina flinched, taken back by his attitude towards her. Now she really wanted to know what was wrong. Nick gets mad easily, but he never takes it out on her. However, it seemed like today was going to be different. "Okay, what's wrong?"_

" _You want to know what's wrong, Alina?! I got kicked off the football team. That's what's wrong!" Nick didn't even wait for her response as he made his way towards their bedroom. Alina followed after him, ignoring the little pang she felt at him using her full name instead of the nickname he gave her._

" _What do you mean you got kicked off the team? What the hell happened?" She asked almost desperately_

" _I already told you, Alina. I got kicked off, okay? Just drop it, I don't want to talk about it. I'm going to take a shower. Have some food ready by the time I get it out." He walked towards the bathroom door, while taking off his shirt. Alina's face when from hurt to mad in a split of a second._

" _Fuck you, Nick! I'm not your fucking maid to be ordered around. Last time I checked I was your girlfriend! It's not my fault you're mad and that for some reason you think it's fine to take it out on me!" Alina exclaimed at him._

" _I never said you were my fucking maid, Alina!" Nick yelled back, as he walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom._

" _Well you sure made it sound like that," she hissed._

" _What do you freaking want me to tell you?"_

" _Oh, I don't know, maybe just talk to me about what happened? Not keep it bottled up…"_

 _Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Nick finally spoke up in a much calmer voice, "Look, Lina… I'm sorry, okay? I'm just upset over all of this. You know how much football means to me." I stayed quiet just letting him vent out. "I guess it's all my fault, though. I've just been stressing out over trying to keep my grades up, finding a good job, and then, having to deal with football. It's caused me to skip practices and shit."_

 _I sighed and walked up to him wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight. "It's okay, Nick. Just, please don't let out all that anger on me, and instead talk to me about it… Promise?"_

" _Promise."_

•FB End•

After that day, nothing as bad had happened. They still had their small fight, but they were nothing compared to that one. Though, unknown to both, a much bigger storm was going to make itself known in a couple months time. One that would separate both of them.

* * *

 **Published** **: 8-28-2015**

 **Unedited**


	3. The Breakup

**A/N:**

 _Sorry I couldn't update on Friday. My WiFi was down and I was finally able to update today._

 _Any who, on Friday's chapter we will begin the movie plot. This chapter is a little crappy and short, but it gets right to the point._

 _Enjoy & don't forget to review!_

* * *

 **○◦○The Breakup○◦○**

It had been a couple of months since Nick had taken Alina to get her tattoo done and things had been going great for everyone. They would all get together once in a while and just hang out. Blake would sometimes bring up his favorite college football team and talk about how he would go to the final game if they made it. He was obsessed with that team it was pretty weird. But, hey, it was Blake. Carly and Wade were still going good, though, Wade still stirred clear from Nick whenever the whole gang would get together. Alina found it amusing at times.

Alina sat across from Carly in her table as they looked over Carly's internship applications. Carly was planning to apply to different places to help her career in journalism in hopes that she would get accepted in one of them. So far, the girls had gone over a few places that Carly thought could be potentials, while there were others she just didn't even think about giving them a second look. She knew that if she wanted her career to work out, she had to take some risks and apply for some of the bigger places.

"Here, why don't you apply for In-Style? They're a pretty good magazine, plus it's in New York!" Alina pointed out, as she looked over the magazine's website.

"Yeah, why not? Though, I doubt they will consider me. I'm sure there are hundreds of others wanting to intern for them. But let's give it a try." Carly says, filling out the application and sending in everything they require through e-mail.

"Now we wait for a call telling saying you have an interview. Then, hopefully, you get the spot!" Alina was excited for her friend. She knew that Carly would do a great job and work her ass off as an intern, any where that took her.

"So? What about you? What's next for you?"

"Well, once this year is over I will have my BSN. Then, go to school for another two years to get my MSN. Once that's done, I apply to a good hospital." Alina replies. She's always known that once she grew up, she wanted to become nurse. Her parents would always ask why she didn't just become a doctor, to which she would always reply; 'Being a doctor puts a lot more of a responsibility on me, than becoming a Registered Nurse. I could still help people, but not carry that much weight on my shoulders...'

That was Alina's answer every time and it never changed. Plus, she hated having to spent so much time in school. She already had to endure 12 years of school from elementary to high school and that was not including pre-school. Then another 6 years to become a registered nurse. If she became a doctor, then all her life might have been about school. So yeah, Alina hated having to attend school so much.

"Well then, just two more years and I'll be the one helping you out with applications" Carly says looking over at her friend. "So? Where's my brother haven't seen him in a while…"

"He left early today. Said something about meeting up with Dalton." Nick had received a phone call from his best friend Dalton early that day telling him he needed to talk. Alina wasn't sure what was going on, all she knew was that as soon as Nick finished his call with Dalton, he left saying he would be back later.

"Wonder what those two are getting themselves into?" Carly joked, rolling her eyes.

"It's like the three musketeers, except they don't have the third musketeer," Alina laughed.

The girls joked around some more, making fun of Nick and Dalton and their friendship that some how got them into more trouble that they could wish for. Though, both girls didn't know how right they were about the boys getting into trouble and just how much it would be, until a knock came from Alina's apartment door.

Standing up from her seat, she made her way towards the front door and opened it. Standing in the other side of the door were two police officers. Alina's heart began to beat quickly at the sight of them, not knowing why they were there. "Hello, ma'am. Are you the girlfriend of Nick Jones?"

At hearing her boyfriends name, Alina began to worry. Did something happen to Nick? Was he okay? Where was he? Were some of the questions going through Alina's head. Alina was too caught up in her own mind, that she didn't notice when Carly joined her side and answered the question for her.

"Yes, she is. I'm his sister Carly. Is there something wrong?"

"Hello, . Your brother has been arrested for theft of a vehicle and evading arrest. We are here to ask you some questions if that is okay?"

After that, everything seemed be like a blur to Alina. The officers had come in and asked both her and Carly a few question that she tried to answer, but found it hard to speak after she learned that Nick would be going to jail for sometime if the judge found him guilty. She knew that it would most likely come to that, if he did steal a car and evade arrest. It was times like these that she wished her boyfriend wouldn't be such a hothead.

Now, she laid on her side of the bed just staring up at the white ceiling of the bedroom she shared with Nick. It was around 8 in the evening and around this time she would usually be up and doing anything, but knowing the situation her boyfriend of two years now was locked away, she just couldn't find the energy in her to do anything. So, she decided to call it a day and try to will herself to sleep.

Twenty minutes later, her eyes finally began to close until darkness consumed her.

 **•** **~•~•~•~•**

Five months later, Alina found herself sitting behind a glass window while Nick sat on the other side. Both holding on to a phone as they looked at eachother.

A week after Nick was arrested, he had his hearing where the judged ended up giving him a fine of $1,000 and a year in County jail. She wasn't sure what the hell had happened that day in the court and what was being said. All she got out of it was that her boyfriend would be in jail for a year. She honestly didn't know what to think. She knew that Nick had done other things that could get him arrested before, but this time he actually did get arrested.

Nick sighed, as he looked at his girlfriend. He knew that this was hard for her. He thought that she would not want anything to do with him when he got arrested, but here she was, five months into his sentence. Three months into his sentence, he told her the truth about that day. He told her how he had covered up for Dalton. At first she had been pissed at him that she had not visited him in two weeks, but eventually she came around and understood where Nick was coming from.

He knew that she would always be there by his side no matter what, and for that very reason and seeing her right in front of him, he knew that what he was going to do was for the best. She deserved better than having to visit her boyfriend in jail every week. She needed someone that was actually going to be out there in the real world with her. She shouldn't have to be stuck with him while he was away. She shouldn't have to deal with his problems. Therefore, even though it killed him to do it, he had to let her go.

"Alina…" As soon as her full name escaped his lips, she knew that today's visit was not going to be like the others. "I can't do this anymore. You shouldn't have to deal with this… We need to breakup."

Alina sat there in shock, not knowing what had just happened. By the time she had gotten herself together, Nick was already being escorted out of the visiting room by an officer. Alina sat there with tears streaming down her face, staring at the door Nick disappeared through. Just like that, her relationship with Nick Jones was over.

* * *

 **Published: 9-6-2015**

 **Unedited**


	4. So It Begins

**So It Begins...○◦○**

Alina walked around her apartment's living room making sure she had everything she needed, for this road trip/ camping trip Blake had planned out a year ago. At first, Alina was all about going and having a good time with her friends, but after the breakup with Nick, she became a shell of herself. It had taken Carly and Paige an entire two months to get her back to her normal self; well as much as they could, at least. As far as this trip went, she had cancelled out on her friends saying that she wasn't really up to it anymore. Especially, since it was going to be couples only.

Carly had told her that even though Nick was released from jail a month ago, both he and Dalton were not going to be going on the trip. Alina was still unconvinced, but eventually agreed to go as long as Nick wasn't going. She had not seen him since he broke up with her, and was not ready to do so anytime soon.

Of course she still loved him, but she was hurt. Eventually, that hurt turned into anger. She was so angry that he just ended things the way he did. She couldn't believe that he didn't let her talk and tell him that she didn't care if he was going to be locked up for a year; that she was only going to see him once or twice every two weeks; that no matter what, she was going to wait for him because she loved him enough to do so. So, it was a mixture of both anger and hurt that she felt and still continues to feel since that day.

Hearing a car honk outside, Alina quickly grabbed her bag - that contained extra pair of clothes- and her tent. Quickly putting on her sunglasses, she walked out the door locking it in the process. As she made her way to her apartment's parking lot, she spotted Blake's new blue 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche he had recently bought. Parked beside them was Wade's 1968 Dodge Charger. Blake and Paige both stepped out of his truck walking up to her. Once Blake greeted Alina with a hug, he proceeded to help her with the tent and put it on the bed of his truck while Paige greeted her next.

Pulling away from the hug, Alina noticed Carly get out of Wade's car and make her way towards them. What caught Alina's attention though, was the guilty look Carly had. Looking over at Paige, she saw the same look on her face.

"Hey, Alina." Carly greeted her with a hug.

"Hey… Is something wrong? You have this look on your face…" Alina asked, not knowing what to expect when they told her.

"Look, before I tell you, just know that it was Blake's idea. Okay?" Carly said, holding on to her friend's arms gently. Paige nodded her head in agreement with Carly. Now Alina definitely didn't know if she should be feeling worried or not.

"Dalton is coming with us to the game…" Alina knew what Carly was going to say before she even said it. If Dalton was going, then HE was going, too. "And so is Nick."

Alina stayed quiet, taking in the new information. After a couple of seconds, she finally nodded her head slowly. "Okay, but I'm riding with Paige and Blake."

"That's perfectly fine. Now come on before Blake blows a casket if we hold them up anymore than we already have." Paige stated, pulling Alina towards the truck and a waiting Blake.

Not once did Alina turn to Wade's car to see if he really was there, even if she knew he was. She just wanted to get going and get herself prepared for the encounter she knew was unavoidable.

 ***H*O*W***

A couple of hours and a lot of thinking in Alina's part, the two vehicle pulled into a small diner off the freeway. Everybody stepped out stretching their stiff bodies, trying to get the knots that had build up from the stiffness out.

Avoiding Nick seemed to be impossible for Alina. As she was making her way towards the only two other girls in the group, Nick stepped in front of her, blocking her path. Alina's heart hammered against her chest as she looked up to meet her ex-boyfriend's eyes. She had been preparing herself on the car ride, ever since Carly told her the news, but she still found it a little hard to stare up into the eyes of the man she loved and hurt her.

"Can we talk?... Please?" His voice was quietly and pleading. He just wanted the chance to talk to her and make her stop hating him, even if she didn't; it still felt like it.

"There's nothing to talk about, Nick… You said all you needed to say, remember?" With that, Alina walked away from him.

She thought she would be able to talk to him, but she just couldn't and even though she felt like a coward for walking away, it was for her best. If she stayed there any longer, she was sure a flood of tears would run down her face.

Reaching both Carly and Paige, all three girls made their way into the diner to grab something to eat.

Carly seeing the look her brother had after Alina walked away, couldn't help but feel bad for him. He might have been fighting with her a lot lately over what happened a year when he went to jail, but at the end of the day; he was her brother and just wanted to see him happy. Even if he was a complete asshole at times.

After grabbing their food, the girls made their way towards a picnic table outside the diner. The boys were off doing their own things for a while before they got on the road again.

Sitting down across Carly and Paige, Alina pulled out her sketchbook and began to draw. Drawing was always a big hobby of hers. As far as she could remember, Alina always had a pencil and paper in hand. Whenever one of her friends asked her why she did pursue that career, she would just say that all it was, was a hobby nothing too serious.

Across from her, Carly pulled out a newspaper and began to look through it in hopes of finding a good affordable place to live in, while she interned in New York for _Instyle_ magazine. Alina was so happy for her friend when she found out that she was accepted after an interview a couple of months after putting in the application. Though, recently, it was because of this her and Wade were having a hard time.

"There's a place in Tribeca for three-thousand," Paige pointed out, as she ate one of her french fries.

Alina leaned over to look at the small article Paige was pointing at on the newspaper. The place seemed pretty good, but she wasn't sure if Carly was going to be able to pay so much. Leaning back, Alina continued on her drawing, while still listening to her two friends.

"That's still too expensive. All the money I've saved won't even cover two months' rent," Carly explained to Paige.

"She's right. She's gonna have to work every second she not in class to try and make that." Alina helped out. After finding out Carly was accepted into the internship spot, she was determined to work as much as she could until graduation to make some money to move to New York and begin her internship. "Plus, she only has until graduation."

Letting out a sigh, Paige looked at her friend, "Carly, don't even think about not going."

"I'm not."

"You sure? 'Cause you have this look on your face…" Alina trailed off, as she joked.

"Yes, I'm sure." Carly tittered.

"Good. Because you know we're proud of you." Paiged stated.

"It's just an internship," Carly replied nonchalantly . Alina stopped drawing and looked up at Paige when she heard her friend say it like it was no big deal. She did not see how her friend can be so dismissive over something like that.

"At Instyle magazine. Which, let's not forget, I told you to apply for." Alina declared.

"Alinas right. Or, would you rather stay at the Waffle House as a waitress forever?" Paige asked.

"No thanks." All three girls laughed at that. Alina saw Wade walk towards them and smiled his way, as he reached them. Carly grabbed the Instyle magazine that was sitting in front of her and began to skim through at as Wade greeted her.

"Hey, babe. Sorry, there were these two drunk rednecks wrestling in the bathroom." Wade explained his tardiness, chewing on the toothpick he had.

"Really?" Carly asked, not quite believing her boyfriend.

"There's no rednecks in New York," Paige said, earning a kick from Alina under the table. Alina noticing the look Wade had, gave Paige a look of her own, trying to tell her to not push it. They both knew Wade wasn't so font on the whole moving to New York plan. Paige taking the hint, stood up from the table, announcing she was going to go meet up with Blake.

Now that it was only them three, Alina grabbed her iPod Nano and decided to listen to some music,and once again went back to drawing and eating a fry once in awhile; not wanting to get involved in the couple's business.

Not much later, Alina felt some sit next to her. She lifted her head to see Nick was the one. He sat with his legs on each side of the bench facing her. On her other side, Dalton sat down with his camera, recording everyone on the table.

Alina sat up straight, removing her earphones and putting her Ipod away. She bit down on her lip trying to avoid Nick's eyes and decided to just stare at her drawing. "So, what do you think, guys? Gonna be a sweet tomorrow, huh?" Wade asked, trying to break the tension.

"Yeah." Nick laughed sarcastically. Dalton on the other hand just mocked Wade.

Alina knew that both Nick and Dalton didn't like Wade, but she didn't think it was necessary to be assholes. Though it was mostly Nick, and Dalton just went along with it.

Once Dalton began to film Carly and her asking him to not, Alina knew that Nick was going to say something. She had heard from Carly enough to know that her relationship with her brother was pretty rocky.

"Hey, come on. Put the camera down. You know she doesn't like people up on her face" Nick said, reaching over Alina to push Dalton's camera down. "She folds under pressure."

"Nick, you got something to say to me?" Carly asks, forcibly closing the magazine.

"No. I think you've spoken enough for all three of us, don't you?" Alina knew he was including her in there. Which kind of irritated her, that he could not let something go. What was Carly suppose to say to the cops.

"Jesus, Nick!" Alina cried out, grabbing her belongings leaving the table not wanting to deal with any of that.

Heading towards where Blake and Paige, she decided to just wait in the truck until everyone was ready to go. Paige seeing her friend make her way towards her, decided she needed to ask for a favor. "Hey, Alina, I need to ask for a favor" Paige said, pulling her towards a more private area.

"Okay."

"You know, how Told you and Carly that I might be pregnant-"

"Are you? " Alina cut her off, wanting to know if she was certain now.

"No, well I don't know yet. But I want to talk to him about, just incase I am… So I was wondering if maybe you could ride with the others, so that I could talk to him in private…" Paige pleaded.

Letting out a breath, Alina agreed with Paige. She knew that this was something that had to be done in private between Blake and Paige. Now all she has to worry about is a very awkward and tense car ride with her ex.

* * *

 **Published: 9-11-2015**  
 **Unedited**

 _** I just want to take a moment and ask for a minute of silence in the memory of the events of September 11, 2001. Let's take a moment to remember the lives of the people that were lost on that day. I want to give my condolences and best wishes to the people who lost family members, friends, and loved ones that day. This is a time to remember their lives. This does not just go out to my fellow Americans, but to those around the world that were effected by the events that took place. I know many people from many places around the world died that day, and I would like to keep their memories alive.**_

 _Thank You._


	5. Camp-Out Pt1

_**A/N:**_

 _Sorry for the wait and the shortness of the chapter._

 _Please enjoy! And Review!_

* * *

 _ **○◦○Camp-Out Pt.1○◦○**_

Awkward. Complete and utter awkwardness, is what Alina felt. Let's not forget the fact that she was sitting stiff as a stick as well. She cursed Paige so many times in her head, that she almost gave herself a headache trying to come up with new curses she had yet to use. Out of all the the different seats she could be sitting at the moment, she had to be stuck in between Nick and Dalton. The awkwardness between her and Nick was just ridiculous. Everyone in the car could feel it, but all decided to stay quiet. Plus, it did not help that she had to sit at such close proximity to him, all thanks to Wade's small car. Sure Dalton could have sat in the middle instead of herself, but it would have been even more cramped than it already was.

Closing her eyes and letting out a small sigh, she decided to relax; if not, than she was sure to get some sort of cramp. Through the corner of her eye, she saw Nick leaning against the window. She had been stealing glances at him for the past hour and a half they had been driving. She would kick herself mentally for that, but she continued to do it either way.

He saw how stiff she had gotten as soon as she sat next to him, before they left the diner. He wanted to give her room, therefore he was leaning against the window, making as much room between them as possible. He could feel the awkward tension and tried his best to ignore it by trying to get some shut eye.

A few minutes passed by as they continued the drive. Not being able to take the quietness any longer, Alina sat forward and spoke to Wade, "Hey, Wade? Can you put the radio on, please?"

"Yeah, sure." He replied, turning on the radio. Truth was he was kind of relieved she asked. He too could not take the quietness.

"Thanks."

 _"Record crowds are expected for college football's biggest game of the year…"_ a man's voice announced through the radio, as he talked about the football game they were all heading to. _"... As Louisiana and Florida…"_

Hearing this, Wade said, "It's gonna be packed tomorrow."

"Really?" Alina asked mockingly at Wade, though she spoke with a tone of playfulness to let him know it just a joke. This received her a small smile from Wade through the rearview mirror.

"Speaking of packed, my legs are killing me back here, man." Dalton complained as he moved around in his seat. Alina, just leaned back against the backrest of the seat, and looked forward towards the back of Blake's truck that was driving ahead of them.

"Don't worry, man, it's not Wade's fault his little Hot Wheels Car only fits two." Nick mumbled, causing Alina to roll her eyes and closed them as she leaned her head back. Now looking up at the car's ceiling.

Letting out a snort, Dalton added in "It's more like a 'shot wheels' car, isn't it?" However, he wasn't done there. "What did you do, go to the barbershop and ask for a He-Man haircut?"

"Shut up, Dalton" Alina told him, seeing the look on Carly's face. Ignoring her, Dalton continued to chuckle at his own joke and leaned over hitting Nick on the arm. Nick letting out a chuckle of his own, also leaned over Alina to hit Dalton back. Once again, Alina rolled her eyes at them, but found it a little amusing. Feeling more crowded, she placed her hands on Nick's arm and chest, she slightly pushed him back to his own seat. As he sat back, they stared at each other, with Alina removing one hand and only leaving the one on his chest in place.

God, it would have been a complete lie if she said she did not want to kiss him at that moment. But knew, it wasn't going to happen. Nick slowly placed his hand over hers and squeezing it gently, holding on to it. The only person that noticed this was Carly. Dalton was still too busy laughing with himself and Wade was focused on the road, trying not to feel hurt by what Nick and Dalton had said. She looked away, not wanting to get caught.

The small moment between the ex-lovers was broken by the bright red lights of Blake's car. Removing her hand away from Nick, Alina tries to fight the heat rising in her cheeks as she looks ahead to try and see what was happening. Nick seeing this quickly asks, "What the hell is this?"

Up ahead the road was blocked making the both cars take a detour from their original route. "Oh, man" Dalton complains, as Carly adds in, "This sucks!"

"So much for his nice little shortcut." Wade says sarcastically as he continues to drive behind Blake.

 _ ***H*O*W***_

The only sounds that could be heard in the deserted road, were those of the two engines belonging to the vehicle of the fifteen minutes of driving and all that surrounded them was nothing and an endless darkness that seemed to stretch so far.

"Hey, do you guys think we're lost?" Alina asked, noticing their surroundings.

"You might be right. Hey, babe? Pull up next to them to ask." Carly says. Doing what his girlfriends asks, Wade picks up the speed and pulls up next to Blake's truck muttering about 'shortcuts' and 'getting lost'.

As the smaller drives next to the bigger one, Dalton notices a blonde head belonging to Paige, bobbing up and down. It would have not been such a big deal if it was not for the placement of where the bobbing was happening. Right above Blake's lap area. Or so it appeared. However, Dalton being Dalton had to point it out. "Damn! Yo, yo, wake up! Wake up!"

Nick feeling his best friend shake him awake from the small five minute nap he was trying to take, looks towards what he was fussing about. Alina having to have Dalton lean over her to reach Nick, is also brought to what Dalton is seeing. She notices Dalton quickly reaching for his camera and begin to record the moving vehicle next to them. This time it is Alina's turn to lean over Dalton to get a view of the bobbing head. She let's out a laugh at what she sees. Everyone in the car begin to laugh and make fun of what they are seeing, Nick even goes far as to reach over Wade and honk at them.

This grabs the couple's attention and realize what their friends were thinking. A few seconds later, Carly's phone begins to ring as Paige calls her. Paige begins to try and explain that she had dropped her lip balm and was only trying to retrieve it. At hearing Carly repeat her friend's words, Alina and the others begin to laugh not believing it.

After a good laugh, Carly gets serious and asks about what the plan for the night would be. She patiently waits as Paige talks to Blake about it. At the end it was decided that they would camp out for the night and wake up early to get to the game on time. So, they continued to drive and try to figure out where they would camp-out at.

* * *

 **Published: 10-2-2015**

 **Unedited**


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